---
title: "ROLLBACK TO"
url: "https://docs.yugabyte.com/stable/api/ysql/the-sql-language/statements/savepoint_rollback/"
---

# ROLLBACK TO

Use the `ROLLBACK TO` statement to start a subtransaction within the current transaction.

## Synopsis

Use the `ROLLBACK TO SAVEPOINT` statement to revert the state of the transaction to a previously established savepoint. This can be particularly useful to handle and unwind errors like key/index constraint violations.

## Syntax

- [![Grammar Icon](/icons/file-lines.svg)Grammar](#grammar-1)
- [![Diagram Icon](/icons/diagram.svg)Diagram](#diagram-1)

```output.ebnf
savepoint_rollback ::= ROLLBACK [ WORK | TRANSACTION ] TO 
                       [ SAVEPOINT ] name
```

#### savepoint\_rollback

ROLLBACKWORKTRANSACTIONTOSAVEPOINT[name](/stable/api/ysql/syntax_resources/grammar_diagrams#name)

## Semantics

### *begin*

```plpgsql
ROLLBACK [ WORK | TRANSACTION ] TO [ SAVEPOINT ] name
```

#### NAME

The name of the savepoint to which you wish to roll back.

## Examples

Create a sample table and add one row to start.

```plpgsql
CREATE TABLE sample(k int PRIMARY KEY, v int);
INSERT INTO sample(k, v) VALUES (1, 2);
```

Begin a transaction and insert some rows.

```plpgsql
BEGIN TRANSACTION;
INSERT INTO sample(k, v) VALUES (3, 4);
```

Now, create a savepoint before inserting a duplicate row for `k=1`:

```plpgsql
SAVEPOINT test;
INSERT INTO sample(k, v) VALUES (1, 3);
```

You should get the following error:

```output
ERROR:  duplicate key value violates unique constraint "k_pkey"
```

Any other operations should error, since the transaction is now in a bad state:

```plpgsql
SELECT * FROM sample;
```

```output
ERROR:  current transaction is aborted, commands ignored until end of transaction block
```

However, you can roll back to our earlier savepoint and continue with the transaction without losing our earlier insert:

```plpgsql
ROLLBACK TO test;
INSERT INTO sample(k, v) VALUES (5, 6);
COMMIT;
```

If you check the rows in the table, you will see the row you inserted before the primary key violation, as well as the one you inserted after roll back:

```plpgsql
SELECT * FROM sample;
```

```output
 k  | v
----+----
  1 |  2
  3 |  4
  5 |  6
(3 rows)
```

## See also

- [SAVEPOINT](/stable/api/ysql/the-sql-language/statements/savepoint_create "SAVEPOINT")
- [RELEASE](/stable/api/ysql/the-sql-language/statements/savepoint_release "RELEASE")